Tymber Dalton - Contractual Obligation

Harper thought fast through the sudden flurry of emotions racing through her. “Oh, oh yeah. Right. Tate. Sorry, I…just couldn’t place the name at first.”

Tina turned back to the sink. Doug returned inside, but Tate sat in his car parked on the street, not moving, his head resting on the steering wheel.

Tina and Eileen walked out to the dining room to get more dirty dishes. Before she realized she was doing it, Harper quietly slipped out the side door and raced around to the front yard. She must have startled Tate, because he jumped when she tapped on his window.

He sat up and rolled the window down. Before he could speak, she took a business card from her pocket and pressed it into his hand. “Tomorrow, four o’clock, this address. Ask the receptionist for me, she’ll bring you to my office. You and I really need to talk about Doug. Please.”

Her heart racing, she didn’t give him time to refuse. She ran back to the house and made it into the kitchen before Tina and Eileen returned with another load of dishes and cutlery. When she glanced through the front window again, she saw Tate had driven away.

Already, her mind had formed a plan. She needed to get Doug out of town, and fast. This was too much for her to handle at once. Anger and guilt warred within her. He’d told her he was single. He’d damn sure never mentioned Tate.

Had he broken up with Tate out of greed, or sacrificed the love of his life to save his parents’ home?

Then again, he wasn’t the only one with secrets, although in retrospect hers now pinged a lot lower on the guilt scale than his.

* * *

Doug felt like he’d been sucker punched. He’d never expected Tate to show up.

He also didn’t expect the surge of emotions he felt upon seeing Tate. He wanted to pull him into his arms, kiss his tears away, and confess everything, even though he knew doing so would jeopardize everything he’d sacrificed so much for.

Not to mention he really had fallen in love with Harper. There was something so vulnerable about her buried deep behind the stone-and-iron façade she showed the world.

Then there was the pain in Tate’s eyes when Doug had opened the door and seen him standing there.

The feel of Tate’s arms around him as they hugged by the car.

“I wish I could tell you everything,” Doug had whispered, coming as close to breaking his agreement as he could, “but I can’t right now. I couldn’t let Mom and Dad lose their house. I’m so sorry I hurt you, but I had to do this for them.”

“Can we meet later and talk?” Tate had asked.

“I can’t. I’m sorry. I don’t blame you for hating me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Tate softly said. “I love you. I’ll always love you. I just wish you could confide in me.”

Doug had wanted to walk away from the house, his parents, and even Harper. Just climb in Tate’s car and leave with him. Instead, he stepped out of Tate’s embrace. “I’ll always love you, too. I’m under a nondisclosure clause for a year. If I talk, I will lose my job and my parents will lose their house.”

Tate wiped his eyes. “I wish I could say I understand, but I don’t.”

Doug had returned to the house and forced himself not to stare out the front window. He walked out to the lanai, praying Tate would just leave, praying he didn’t knock again and force him to make a choice between the love of his life and the woman he realized he might possibly have a future with.

He hated himself. He had to be the most selfish bastard on the face of the planet.

I don’t deserve either of them.

* * *

Harper felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. After the dishes were finished, she excused herself to the bathroom, grabbing her purse on the way. There, she checked her blood sugar, took her meds, and read through her e-mail.

There was another message from the manager of the London office, needing her input on the impending deal there to acquire another local producer of aeronautics hardware in Manchester. She’d thought about going herself to handle it, but didn’t want to take the time away from dealing with the new Sebring plant.

Then it hit her. The answer to her problem, buying her time and getting Doug out of the Tampa office ASAP.

Harper tapped out a reply to the London office, then joined everyone else on the lanai. She put on her best fake smile despite feeling like her heart was breaking and hoped Doug would buy the act.

“Guess what?” she said to Doug, praying her voice sounded normal. “You get to break in your new passport tomorrow.”

He looked confused. “What?”

She held up her phone. “The Manchester deal? The London office needs some guidance over there. I’m sending you.”

“Me?”

Sarah looked impressed. “That’s incredible! I’m so proud of you, Doug.”

“Are you sure you want to send me?” he asked Harper.

“Yes. I know you can handle this. I have confidence in you.” She noticed he had yet to mention they’d had an unexpected visitor at the house, much less that it was Tate.

How many other secrets did Doug hold in his heart? And how could she trust him now when he told her he loved her?

* * *

Doug felt stunned. First Tate showing up, now this. “I don’t know if I’m ready to handle something that big on my own.”

“Of course you are. You’ll be working with our attorneys over there. I wouldn’t send you if I didn’t have confidence in you. Besides, I’m just an e-mail or phone call away.” She dropped the next bomb. “You’ll be over there for at least a month, possibly two. You should be home by the holidays, though. We’ll get you packed and get your ticket booked as soon as we get home.”

“Um, all right.” Why did he get the feeling she was suddenly trying to get rid of him?

Fear set in. Had she seen him with Tate? Then he dismissed that. Harper wasn’t one to run from a conflict. If she had, no doubt she would have been outside introducing herself and asking him questions.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly. His mom opened her presents, and he forgot everything else when he saw the tearful joy in his mom’s face as she opened the necklace.

“Harper picked it out,” he said as he put an arm around Harper’s shoulders. She didn’t draw away from him. In fact, she snuggled closer.

Must be guilt eating at me, he thought. Nothing’s wrong, I’m just imagining there’s anything else behind the sudden trip.

His mom reached over and hugged Harper. “Thank you, sweetie. It’s gorgeous.”

Harper smiled. “I’m glad you like it, Sarah.”

His mom patted her on the cheek. “Call me Mom, for crying out loud.” She smiled at Harper. “You’re as good as part of the family, right?”

More guilt swept through him. She’d insisted Tate call her Mom the first time she’d met him, too.

Harper’s smile widened. “Thanks, Mom.”

* * *

Harper wanted to cry as she helped Sarah put the necklace on. Mom. She hadn’t had a mom in so long…

She wanted to believe with all her heart that Doug hadn’t acted out of greed, but out of generosity and loyalty to his family. Before she confronted him about it, however, she needed to talk to Tate and get the full story. Yes, extreme measures to get Doug out of the way, but she didn’t get to where she was by not doing her research and getting all her ducks lined in a row.

Later, in the car on the way home, Doug reached over and patted her thigh. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She scrolled through her phone, reading e-mails. “Why?”

“You just seem a little distant.”

She laid her hand over his and squeezed. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting this deal to come through so quickly. Lots to do. I’m back in business mode.”

“No problem.”

When they returned home she immediately booted her laptop and booked his flight. She printed out the boarding pass. “I had to fly you into Gatwick, sorry. I couldn’t get you a direct flight to Heathrow.”

He took the boarding passes and looked through them. “I’ve never been overseas before.”

“Piece of cake. I’ll make sure someone from the London office will meet you.”

She helped him pack. He had to be at Tampa International at six in the morning, yet another excuse for making it an early night.

She coaxed him into making love to her, not wanting to give up the feel of his arms around her. No matter what, she’d take advantage of that. There was a little comfort in feeling a warm body snuggled next to her.

And she wanted all the comfort she could get since she didn’t know what the future would hold for them.

The next morning, Harper kissed Doug when he left for the airport. She managed to hold back her tears when he told her he loved her.

“I love you, too.” Although she wished she didn’t, now she knew the truth. She did love him, and the last thing she wanted to do was lose him.

Unfortunately, she had to find out the truth before she could go any farther.

She arrived at the office nearly an hour early. Without Doug there, and with Gorden now happily retired all of three days, Harper tried to focus on her work and couldn’t. She couldn’t stomach the thought of food and skipped breakfast. The clock crawled. By noon, she realized she wasn’t accomplishing anything and took off for the gym to get her workout in early. It allowed her to burn off some tension and time to think without obsessively checking for messages.

She didn’t know what she wanted to do. If she met with Tate and decided Doug had acted in the best interest of his family, she’d back away, no matter the damage to her heart. She couldn’t live with herself if she’d come between them.

But that was Doug’s choice to make, the voice in her head argued. That voice wanted Doug in her bed for the rest of her life.

It doesn’t matter. I can’t live with that.

And what if he acted out of greed? the doubtful voice asked her. What if she decided everything he’d done had been merely an act?

Her heart ached at the thought. She didn’t want that to be the truth. She’d rather walk away willingly than find out she’d been duped. It would be much easier to bear.

She wanted to believe the best of Doug, not the worst. She didn’t want to believe she’d been lied to, deceived, led along.

Wearing herself out in the gym didn’t help quell her racing thoughts. She showered, returned to the office, and set about catching up with e-mails. She still had an hour before Tate was due.

If he showed. If that happened, well, then she’d figure out what to do later.

* * *

Tate stopped at a gas station a few blocks from the Holt house and stared at the business card in his hand. He should just return to Gainesville tonight. He shouldn’t spend the money on a hotel room for the night.

But the woman seemed agitated, anxious to talk to him. Maybe she could shed some light on why Doug had done what he did.

Tate found a cheap hotel in a not-too-bad section of town. The next day, he spent his time wandering over to Pinellas County and walking the beaches before making his way back to Tampa. He hoped this Harper Wells lady didn’t mind he wasn’t dressed in fancy business clothes. He hadn’t anticipated meeting with anyone other than Doug. He wasn’t too ashamed to admit he’d been stalking Tina’s Facebook feed and knew Doug would be at the party. He’d been willing to take that small chance to talk to Doug.

He arrived at the building fifteen minutes early and found the receptionist.

“I’m Tate Gillis.” He held up the business card. “I’m supposed to meet with Harper Wells at four.”

“Sure.” She placed a quick call, then stood. “Right this way.”

He wasn’t sure what to expect. He glanced around as he followed her, half hoping to see Doug somewhere. When the receptionist knocked on and opened an office door for him, he found himself face-to-face with the woman from yesterday.

“Thanks, Kim. That’s all,” Harper Wells said.

The receptionist closed the door behind her when she left.

The woman looked as nervous as he felt. She offered him a smile and stepped over to him, holding out her hand. “I didn’t have a chance yesterday to properly introduce myself. Harper Wells.”

He shook. “Yeah, I figured from your business card. Tate Gillis.”

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence before she finally indicated a comfortable-looking leather sofa. “Let’s sit and talk.”